The Ibrox icon has some big stories from behind the scenes at Ibrox during the festive period
Ally McCoist has predicted the 2025/26 Premier League season(Image: Getty)
The big day is here – and it’s a time to sit by the Christmas tree creating memories, and reminiscing about some old ones. And one man that isn’t shy about looking back on the good times is Ally McCoist.
The Rangers legend created iconic memories on the pitch for the Glasgow giants, but hasn’t been shy in revealing some of the good times away from the park. He is the club’s all time leading goalscorer, but in recent years has become best known for his commentary and punditry jobs.
And that has handed McCoist the perfect platform to open his festive story book. Record Sport has some of the best tales from the Light Blues’ hero.
Christmas party season
Ally McCoist revealed how Christmas revellers in Glasgow were often unaware Rangers stars were out on the town due to their fancy dress costumes back in the nine-in-a-row era.
He said :We used to do fancy dress every Christmas Party. I used to go as Henry the 8th. And probably the size of me I’d make a very good Henry right now.
“I did a very good Barney Rubble one year but the best thing is we used to go out and have a right good kick at the ball, so to speak. We used to always finish at the Canton Express in Glasgow.
The stars would dress up. Who can you spot?(Image: Daily Record)
“The beauty of it was there was all these Rangers players sitting about and the Glaswegians are just getting battered into their chow mein and sweet and sour not bothering their backsides.”
Gazza and go-karting
Joker McCoist lifted the lid on how Paul Gascoigne ended up banned from two Glasgow go-karting tracks after Rangers player partiers. ‘Gazza’ and his old pal were known as the the dressing room pranksters at Ibrox during the 1990’s.
However, the Scotland hero admits he was surprised by the antics of his teammate during the annual Christmas night out. He said: “We used to go out and have a Christmas party and we went to the go-karts.
“We went to the go-karts in Clydebank and got banned, and then the following year we had to go the go-karts out in Cambuslang and we got banned from there as well. By the way, both bans were accepted without appeal.”
When pressed on what the pair would get up to, smirking McCoist added: “He was taking hair pins, driving up the wrong way and all that stuff. He was ridiculous, he took it to a new level, even by his standards!”
Putting out Aberdeen’s lights
McCoist revealed he was once forced to turn down an invitation from Aberdeen’s Lord Provost to turn on the city’s Christmas lights. And the Rangers legend admits he couldn’t resist a light-hearted dig at the Dons in his reply.
McCoist received the request in his Ibrox heyday but was unable to attend due to a “prior engagement”. The 57-year-old drafted up a reply with the help of Rangers’ club secretary but made sure to sign off with a cheeky one-liner.
“They asked me to turn the lights on, on Union Street,” McCoist told Laura Woods on talkSPORT. “I sent a letter back. Laura, the secretary at Rangers and I, we sent a lovely letter back.
“I said: ‘Dear Lord Provost, thank you very much for your wonderful invitation to turn on the Christmas lights on Union Street in Aberdeen.
“‘Unfortunately, due to a prior engagement, I will not be able to take you up on your very, very kind offer. P.S. The irony isn’t lost on me, as I normally come up to Aberdeen and put your lights out!'”